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Camel calves are born with their eyes open, and they can run only a few hours after being born. Unless forced apart, the camel and her calf will live together for the first few years of the camel's life. Most camel owners begin teaching young camels to kneel and to carry packs when the calves are just over a year old. Camels are well known for their ability to survive for weeks without water or food, an adaptation that makes them perfectly suited for life in the desert.

The average life expectancy of a camel is 40 to 50 years. Their natural predators include leopards, lions and humans. Camels were domesticated more than 5,000 years ago and no longer exist in the wild.

A camel, like a cow or llama, has one stomach with four separate chambers that are used in different stages of the camel's digestive process. Mammals that utilize four-compartment stomachs to break down their food are called ruminants.

When temperatures rise above 110 degrees Fahrenheit, camels can survive for about five days without drinking water. During the winter, camels can survive six or seven months without drinking water. During that time, they may obtain moisture from plants they consume.